GOD CHILD

PhotographerAnna Gondek-Grodkiewicz

PrizeHonorable Mention

Entry Description

Ah Mui Xae Kao (aged 58) treats her plastic doll like a live one and has named her Kam Lai (which means Breathless).
She bought it in Bangkok from a holy man, who is in touch with spirits. He was the one who has given the plastic body of Kam Lai a soul.
Ah Mui considers Kam Lai to be her daughter, who brings her good luck. She never parts with her. She takes her to work and claims that thanks to that her salary has gone up.
God Children have been popular in Thailand for a couple of years. Both the rich and the poor carry their dolls on a daily basis. This new trend has its origin in an ancient tradition of placing clay dolls in homes, with the hope that souls would inhabit them. Caring for them brings prosperity and happiness - forgetting to do so can bring about problems.